From: BaloonBabe@aol.com
Date: Sat, 16 Jun 2001 02:40:00 EDT
Subject: Re: getting your foot in door at Walmart
To: Balloondeco@balloonhq.com, MarkDeena@aol.com

In a message dated 6/15/01 10:01:30 PM Pacific Daylight Time, 
MarkDeena@aol.com writes:

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 From: MarkDeena@aol.com
 Subject:getting your foot in door at Walmart
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 Walmart is not going to pay you for your work.  It's not in their budget, 
for decorations like this.  More than likely, they would give you small gift 
cerfticate. It depends on the store. The best thing about it you have an 
average of 30,000 customer coming in the door every week.(Depends on the size 
of store.)  If they like your work they will always ask associate.  The front 
end associate, always get ask the question.Who did what. Especially the phone 
operator. It all depends on the store mgr.  What the assitant mgr. can do. 
The work I'm doing is for free.  The reason why I do this I want my area to 
look the best. For the ones that deliveries they do send flowers to their 
associates that are on medical leave.  You could send the Wal-Mart  personal 
mgr. arrangment.  Maybe she can use you for this service.  This you would get 
paid for.  I'm sorry that Walmart does not have this in their budget.    I 
was just letting you know how you could get some advertisment. When I had my 
f!
 !
 ashion shows I would use high sc
 hool cheerleaders.Cheerleaders are the ones that usually take care of home 
coming, proms and etc.  Also for back to school we have teacher appreciate 
night, the week before back to school.  
 
 Thanks
 Deena 
 Balloon Design's
  >>


Let me give the newbies some advice..........................

FIrst of all let me point out something.....  how can a store that has "on 
the average 30,000 customers in a week" not have enough money to pay for a 
couple of columns...  Corporate clients have the biggest wallets and if they 
want something they should pay for it...  

I dont call that free advertising for a few reasons...  

1.)  when you start giving a client something for free then they expect 
something for free EVERY time they call you....  sorry but that is not in MY 
budget.

2.)  a teenage girl is not going to call Wal Mart to find out where they get 
their prom balloons from...  thats not advertising that is just giving away 
your work for free. And when a customer DOES ask a sales associate "Who did 
the balloons?" the average minimum wage earning clerk is going to look around 
and go "I dunno know"  they dont get paid to know that.....


Event decorating  is the way I make my living... decorating is not a hobby to 
me and I dont hand out my work freely.  I do a lot with the schools because 
in california they are on a tight budget and I NEVER EVER EVER give to 
corporate clients for free....  I have quite a few high end corporate and I 
come across with something that is much more important to them than free... 
They are paying for my expertise and  my abilities and they consider it money 
well spent because they know that when I am done, their events will look good 
and be done on time... I am not the cheapest in the market but I am one of 
the best... how do they know this?  because I tell them.....  dont sell 
yourself short... act like a professional and be paid like a professional...


I personally wouldnt want to put my foot in any door where I will have to 
sell myself short or have to do it for free..... my kids have this bad 
habit... they like to eat and in California it is a law that I have to feed 
them,!


OFF MY SOAPBOX NOW>>>>>



Maria Grace Pilios CBA
<A HREF="http://members.aol.com/BaloonBabe/balloons">"Ain't That Special"</A> 
Balloon Decorating Company
Norwalk, CA


Proudly Sevrving Southern California for 10 years
Award Winning Trade Show Booth Designer - 5 years in a row!